While celebrations continued in Telangana over the passage of the Bill in lok Sabha, 13 districts of Seemandhra observed total strike on Wednesday. But Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers Association withdrew the indefinite strike of Government employees in the region.
Chief Minister Kiran Reddy’s was the high point of the day. His resignation came after weeks of speculations about his future course of action. Kiran Reddy was in power for three years and five month as the 16th Chief Minister of the State.
Reddy questioned the propriety of lok Sabha passing a Bill rejected by the State Assembly. “How they can divide the State which formed on the sacrifice of so many people,” he said. Claiming that Andhra Pradesh was formed for Telugu speaking people after a long struggle since 1908 and laying down of lives by thousands of people. “It is painful that such a great State was being divided”.
Reddy alleged that several provisions of constitution were violated by the Central Government in dividing Andhra Pradesh. “When some members protested the Prime Minister said his heart was bleeding. When their State was divided will the heart of crores of Telugu people will not bleedIJ” he asked. Alleging that the Congress and the BJP had entered into an unholy nexus, the Chief Minister said that the two parties had wounded the Telugu people.
Kiran Kumar Reddy has succeeded K Roshaiah as the Chief Minister and taken office on September 10, 2010. He was handpicked by Congress party president Sonia Gandhi to put an end to the political turmoil and uncertainty which gripped the State following the death of Congress strongman YS Rajasekhara Reddy in September 2009 and failure of veteran K Rosaiah to stem the tide.
A member of dominant Reddy community in Rayalaseema, many in the Congress saw a new hope in young Kiran, who was the Speaker of Assembly at the time.